


Verbum Abutor

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Drama, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-06-18
Updated: 2006-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-31 10:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15117761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: Fitz was well acquainted with the behavior...she was seconds from crumbling.





	Verbum Abutor

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: This is number 9 in the **Ultimate Happiness** series. The title is Latin and translated it means words words, but it can also mean abusive words, fighting words. The word used in the story is never stated but everyone will know what it is.  


* * *

“Hey there.”

CJ looked up as Greg Brock walked into her office on a snowy Thursday morning. It was mid March but the winter kept its grip on the nation’s capital. CJ shook off her coat and sprinkled food into her fish bowl.

“How did you get in here? Carol usually does a good job of keeping the riffraff at bay.”

“It’s barely six a.m. You people don’t pay her that kind of money. And Bill likes me.”

“I'm definitely going to have to do something about that. Why are you bothering me Greg…I'm not talking about tax cuts.”

“I wasn’t going to ask. How are the munchkins?”

CJ smiled at the mere mention of her children. Charlie was just seven months, Tim a year and half. He was cutting teeth and she was finally sleeping through the night. CJ told him so.

‘That’s excellent. We had some trouble with Della and the whole sleeping thing. Jane…”

“Greg, um I know you didn’t come by at this hour to discuss child rearing. Since you are usually the bearer of bad news just go ahead and give it to me.” CJ sat at her desk and took a long drink of her coffee. “I'm ready.”

“There’s a possibility of a story breaking in the next couple of days.”

“What story?”

“I'm not entirely sure it’s even going to happen CJ. I heard it from someone who heard it from someone.”

“Is this ninth grade Spanish class or the mob? What’s going on?”

“There may be a story breaking about Leo McGarry having an illegitimate child.”

“No Greg, no! Its bullshit.”

“Wait, CJ…”

“Bullshit!” she exclaimed. “My husband does not engage in extramarital activities.”

“Its not while you two were married OK. The person is apparently half Vietnamese.”

“Oh God.” CJ covered her forehead with her hand. “Who has it?”

“I don’t know. It is floating around but no one is laying claim to it. For all I know it is the Weekly World News.”

“Then why come to me with this?”

“Because no matter how disreputable the source, it is going to be picked up. President Bartlet’s approval ratings are high and some are looking to bring him down. It won't be the first time they go through his Chief of Staff.”

“Yeah. OK.”

“I'm sorry.”

“No.” CJ shook her head. “You didn’t have to warn me. Thank you.”

“So next time I want something, I will get it.”

The twinkle in Greg’s eye when he said that made CJ smile despite how she felt.

“It will cause me to pause and think really hard about it.”

“I’ll take it. Keep your chin up OK?”

“Yeah.”

Greg left and CJ sighed. It seemed there had been so few good days since the reelection. They had just skated through the Hoynes tell-all issue; CJ and her husband faced a demon from her past head on. Now they had to do it again. She did not know how many knuckle blows the Administration was going to take before they declared a technical knockout. Not wanting to think about it anymore she got up and walked to his office. CJ managed to say good morning to a few people and greeted Margaret with a small but genuine smile.

“You work too hard.” She told the senior assistant.

“Yeah. He is in there and not busy if you want to go in.”

CJ thanked her, went in, and closed the door.

“Hey.” He greeted her with a smile.

“I saw Greg Brock this morning.” she got right to the point.

“No wonder The Times has the best White House happenings; does the man sleep? Did you tell him we have no comment on taxes?”

“He didn’t come to see me about taxes.”

“Great. What the hell is going on now?”

CJ took a deep breath.

“There is a strong possibility, though Greg could not confirm, a story will break in the next couple of days about your having a love child.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me? It’s a lie CJ…a boldfaced lie.”

“From Vietnam Leo.”

The silence that filled the room spoke volumes. They both felt uncomfortable and suddenly the six feet between them was a minefield.

“Is it true Leo?”

“What?”

“Is it true?”

“I don’t know. I um…I don’t know.”

“But there is a possibility? Were there women?”

“You cannot even begin to understand what was happening there while you were learning your ABCs.”

“I understand you were married.” CJ replied.

“We are not discussing this right now CJ.”

CJ did not like the finality of his tone. She knew it would get worse before it got better. Especially since the man who had been through it all with him was about to be indicted on federal charges. She could see him closing the door in her face.

“If there is a story, we need to get it straightened out.”

“We don’t know what it is right now. If someone has this, they are not going to break it before Monday. The weekend news cycle is a waste of time.”

“You are willing to bet your life on that? Why are you talking like its true?” She whispered.

“This is not up for discussion right now. I need time to get my mind straight.”

“Fine.” She turned to leave and Leo tried to stop her. “No, get your mind right.” Her tone was more sarcastic than she intended. “I have work to do.”

***

“You one of those fighter pilots?”

Leo looked up at her as she put another shot of whiskey and a beer in front of him. He was not drunk yet, but he needed to be. Brian got shot down and killed today and a group of guys from the 98th was ambushed in some godforsaken swamp. Outnumbered 3 to 1…no one survived. He had to be numb tonight.

“You got a problem with fighter pilots?” he grumbled.

“No. I see you in here with those guys. Where are they tonight?”

They were off at the whorehouses, happy to be alive another day. That was not Leo’s thing; he had a wife and baby at home. He did not need to be shacked up with some woman and he definitely did not need the clap.

“You ask too many damn questions. Why is your English so good?”

“Boarding school.”

“What the hell are you doing behind a bar in Hanoi?”

“Helping out my family. We lost a lot and college is a bit out of the question right now since my country is being ripped in half.”

She walked away and Leo did his shot, shuddering at the feel of the poison sliding down his throat.

“Don’t blame me…I got drafted. What’s your name?”

“Tranh. Yours?”

“Leo.”

“Like the sign?” she asked.

“Something like that. Another whiskey.”

She poured him another wearing that jovial smile again. He had noticed her for a week or so and she always tried to wear that damned smile. He wanted to know what there was to smile about.

“We’re here today.” She replied.

“For some of us that is not a blessing.”

“You one of those guys with a death wish?”

“I don’t know.” He did his shot and drank his beer. Before he got there, the answer had been a clear no. “How old are you kid?”

“18.”

“You look 12.”

“Fuck you.”

Leo couldn’t help but laugh. Tranh smiled.

“Harsh language from a little girl.”

“I may look a lot of things,” she said. “But I'm not.”

“Leo?”

The sound of Margaret’s voice on the intercom brought him out of his memories. He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus. More coffee was going to be essential today. A glass of scotch and a cigarette would be grand.

“Yeah?”

“I have Harold Waters from State on the phone. He is returning your call.”

Leo picked up the phone.

“Harold, hi. Alright, how are Margie and the kids. Oh, Stacey is pregnant. Congratulations. She is fine…two infants I know. It’s a real kick in the balls. Look, I need to pick your brain for a bit today. You think we could meet somewhere for a quick lunch?”

***

“What is up with you today?”

Nora shivered against the cold as she walked closer to CJ. She was in the park across the street from the White House, pacing and smoking a cigarette. It was barely 11am. Bill was nearby as always and the Press Secretary looked as if she aged ten years in a few hours.

“What do you mean? Damn, it is cold out here. When is the fucking weather going to break? I'm afraid to sit because I may get stuck to the bench.”

Nora shrugged standing beside her. CJ almost hugged her close for warmth.

“What are you doing out here? Anyone could snap your picture?”

“I don’t care.” She muttered.

“You care, and so do I. What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

“OK.”

Nora sat down, CJ sat beside her and they did not speak.

“Its fucking cold.” Nora broke the silence.

“I thought you New Englanders love this weather.”

“Of course we do, inside by a fire with some brandy. Talk to me CJ, before we get frostbite.”

“Did Leo send you out here?” she asked.

“No. Should he have?”

CJ looked at her and it all came out. Greg, the story, the look on Leo’s face; all of it.

“Dear God, are you serious?”

“I don’t even know. It’s floating around but I don’t think Greg would have come to me if it wasn’t going to break soon.”

“The culture there…we will never have any idea.” Nora said. “Lots of guys had women and they didn’t…”

“Stop.” CJ held up her hand. “I won't even pretend to understand. If this comes out, this Administration is going to get hit hard. Not to mention my husband is going to get hit hard. I am sick of defending him for things that happened a lifetime ago and are nobody’s business.”

“Hey, Leo does financial disclosures yearly. If he were paying child support of any payments of that nature they would show up.”

“I thought of that too. But for all we know he gave the woman some lump sum check decades ago. You didn’t see his face Nora.”

“You know how he feels about the experience in Hanoi. The feelings may have nothing to do with a child. We don’t even know if there is a child.”

“But it is possible.”

“Yeah, but it is also possible he has no idea. He was shot down and sent back.”

CJ didn’t think it mattered once the news came out that the child was younger than Mallory. She was not even a child anymore…she would be in her early 30s. Who was to say it was even a girl…maybe Tim was not Leo’s only son. Nora grabbed her by the elbow and they stood.

“We are going to freeze to death out here. Its time to go back inside, come on.”

Sighing, CJ allowed Nora to drag her back into the White House.

***

Another successful flight meant one more night alive. The guys came barging into the bar at nine o’clock hooting and hollering, making machine gun noises. There were pats on the back and handshakes from other soldiers.

“Blew that training camp to hell!” Tom Petrie exclaimed. “Wish I coulda seen the Congs scatter from the sky.”

There was laughter but Leo was unusually quiet today. That didn’t surprise anyone; the pilot sometimes had to be poked to talk. He got a letter from Jed today, an unopened letter that burned a hole in his shirt pocket. He wanted to read it before the flight but felt it was bad luck. He would get the chance when he was alone.

“Baby girl, line up the shots and beer! It’s on me fellas!”

The bar erupted in cheering as Petrie took his usual stance as Mr. High and Mighty. He was a rich kid from California; belonged to some banking family. Hoped to be a war hero like his father, who fought in a war that mattered. All he did was buy friends, booze, and women. Leo hung with him though; the pilots were a tight group. It was going to get rowdy tonight. Someone put Deep Purple on the jukebox and the hookers had wandered in from the oppressive heat outside. People were pairing off quickly but it looked like Tom had his eye on one woman.

“How about you show me a good time tonight baby girl.” He said to Tranh after one too many.

She politely declined and continued to pour drinks. He asked again; he was turned down. When he tried to get rough, Leo sprang into action.

“Hey, let her go. She is a fucking kid Tom…there are plenty of chicks in here tonight.”

“Fuck you McGarry…this one is mine.”

“I am not for sale you bastard!” Tranh shouted though she could not break his grip on her tiny wrist.

The smaller Vietnamese men who tried to jump to her defense were quickly defeated by Tom’s cronies.

“Let her go Tom, or I will kick your ass.”

“She your girlfriend McGarry?”

“Yeah, and she is not for sale.”

“Hey!” Tom let her go and Tranh nearly hit the floor. The pilot wore a smile that Leo wanted to wipe off with the sawdust floor. “I didn’t know man.” He patted Leo’s back. “I'm not one to step on a comrade’s toes. Men, to the brothel!”

Five or six guys followed him out and calm settled on the place. Leo sat back at the bar.

“I'm not your girlfriend either.” Tranh said.

“Yeah, I know. But that guy wouldn’t have stopped. He could have raped you right here and none of them would have stopped him. They would have taken turns.”

She shivered and poured Leo another beer.

“I want you people to leave us alone.”

“Yeah. I want to go home too kid. Yet, here we sit. What time do you get off?”

“Two. Why?”

“I'm walking you home. Tom Petrie doesn’t like to be told no. He doesn’t give a shit if you're my girlfriend or not.”

“What makes you any better than him?” Tranh asked.

“My word. Please let me walk you home tonight. I want to make sure you get there safely.”

“OK. OK Leo.”

***

“What's the matter?”

CJ stood in the kitchen and looked at her husband. He was chain smoking, drinking coffee, and his hands were shaking.

“I can't sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you CJ. Go back to bed baby.”

“Not without you.” She shook her head. “I’ll hold you; keep the nightmares at bay.”

“Not tonight.”

She took a deep breath, biting back her tears. This was more than both of them could handle right now.

“Do you have a child from Vietnam Leo?”

“I don’t know. It was a…I just don’t know. I truly hate for this story to break for me to find out.”

“Were there women?” CJ asked.

“Are you asking me as the Press Secretary or my wife?”

“What the hell kind of question is that?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head and lit another cigarette. “I'm sorry baby. Please just go back to bed; I'm going to be fine.”

“You're not. I love you and I want to talk to you.”

“For God’s sake Claudia Jean, let me get my head straight!” He snapped.

“Don’t shout at me! Look what this is doing to us…again. If you decide you want to sleep tonight, I think you should do it on the couch.”

“Don’t walk away like this. I don’t need to be fighting with you right now.”

“How can I fight you when I have no idea what is going on? I can't protect you if you don’t let me.”

“I can protect myself. If it breaks, it breaks…we’ll go from there. I'm not having another press conference where I expose myself like a gaping wound. I will never do that again. I'm not putting anyone else I love through that.”

“I am your wife, if you cannot lean on me, what is the point?”

She didn’t say another word before going upstairs and sleeping both restless and alone.

***

“Mr. President?”

Jed Bartlet looked up at his best friend as he walked into the dining room of the Residence on Friday morning. He looked exhausted and there was worry in his hazel eyes.

“Leo, you look as if you got no sleep. Sit down, are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Gilbert, bring pancakes for Mr. McGarry please.”

“Yes sir.”

Leo poured himself another cup of coffee. It was his third of the morning.

“What is the problem? Is Charlie still not sleeping through the night?”

“She’s fine now. There is a possibility a story may break about my having an illegitimate child sir.”

“What? Who would say something like that? CJ could not have taken that well.”

“It’s from Vietnam Mr. President.”

“Oh my God. Why now? Is there merit?”

“I don’t know.” Leo answered both of his questions.

“So there were women?” Jed asked.

“No. There was a woman…she was just a girl.”

“Did you love her?”

“I hardly felt a thing when I was over there Jed.”

He called him Jed; the President knew he was back there in his mind.

“She was a sanctuary in that hellhole. Not some prostitute; she went to boarding school. Every time I thought about killing myself, she was there. I would like to think she would have told me she was going to have my child.”

“What happened to her?”

“I was shot down and I wrote her a letter but I never heard back. I have no way of knowing if it ever reached her. They shipped me home when I was well enough.”

“So she could have…”

“Yeah. The rhythm method was a serious crapshoot; I think we both know that. I never thought I would have to tell a soul about this.”

“Don’t you ever think I will think less of you Leo. I cannot begin to imagine what you went through over there. Your letters were so antiseptic; I knew you weren’t telling me things. It was another world and another lifetime.”

Leo nodded as he ate the pancakes he was served. He ate like a condemned man.

“I may have a child in this world I know nothing about.” he said.

“How do you plan on finding out?” the President asked.

“I am working on ways. Hopefully I can have it all sorted out before I have to drag CJ, Jenny and Mallory through any more hell.”

***

The night he showed up at her room, it rained buckets and he was drunk. She didn’t push him away when his kisses overpowered her. She didn’t say no when he took off her clothes and laid her on the bed. She only whimpered when he entered her and let him quiet his demons with her body. When it was over, and he rolled on the rickety mattress, that’s when he saw the blood. It nearly sobered him.

“My God Tranh, Jesus, you're bleeding. Jesus!”

“I have never been with a man.” She replied, tears in her eyes.

“Jesus! Why didn’t you…did I hurt you?”

“A little bit.”

“Jesus Christ.” There was blood on him too. Leo had to get it off. Blood was one of this weaknesses though he gotten a lot better over the years.

He helped her out of bed and into the bathroom on wobbly legs. He bathed them both, holding her tight against him again.

“Don’t you ever let me do that to you again, do you understand me? You say no Tranh.”

“I didn’t want to say no.”

Leo just held her close in the tiny tub, apologizing over and over in her ear. She quieted him with a kiss.

“Stop it Leo…you did not rape me. You're not Tom Petrie. You were gentle as you could be, and you didn’t know.”

“I hurt you.” He muttered.

“Never, not in any way that counts. You know this isn’t real life. One day we’re going to wake up, you’ll be back in Middle America somewhere, and I will be in college. Hanoi won't be burning and people won't be dying. This will all be a nightmare we made up in our heads. OK?”

“That is the craziest thing I have ever heard.”

“Well, it keeps me getting out of bed in the morning. That, and you.”

***

Thank God for take out the trash day. Not one reporter mentioned any rumors or stories about Leo. Hopefully they would be spared the weekend. CJ was scared though, waiting for the other shoe to drop and knock her in the skull. Whenever she let her mind wander, she thought of out of control press briefings, like right after the MS disclosure. She did not know if she had the strength to stand up there and answer very personal questions about her husband’s ancient sex practices. She was just a kid when all of that happened…Leo’s possible child was not much older than she was.

“Leo is in your office. You're taking 20 minutes.” Carol was at her side and CJ looked at her assistant as if she had not spoken English.

“What?”

“He brought you lunch. Take a breather.”

“As if that is possible. Hey Carol?”

“Yeah?”

“Has any reporter asked you personal questions about Leo?”

“No. If they did I would tell you immediately.”

“OK. Please do.”

“Yeah.”

CJ went into her office, closed the door, and tried to smile. She kept thinking about waking up alone.

“What's all this?” she asked.

“Lunch. A turkey cheeseburger, fries, and a double chocolate shake.”

“Well, what did you do?”

Leo smirked, patting the couch beside him.

“C'mon CJ, eat. We only have about 20 minutes before the world invades.”

She sat right beside him and dug right in. She was hungrier than she realized. Leo just looked at her and knew what he had to do.

“There was a girl in Hanoi named Tranh. She was 18 and she probably saved my life on more than one occasion. There were no real questions about love; it didn’t work like that there. She was my girl and everyone knew that. Every guy had one…not that I am trying to justify anything. I never saw her again after I was shot down though I tried to get word to her that I was alive and going home. Is there a chance I could have fathered a child with her? Yes. But believe me when I tell you I didn’t know. She must have found out after I left. If Tranh is not making this claim, then it’s not my child. I can swear to that.”

“A one woman man even in the depths of hell.” CJ replied.

“I was unfaithful. That’s something I have to live with.”

“We don’t judge each other, remember? We get through this together if it comes.”

Leo squeezed her hand, taking a deep breath.

“I love you Claudia Jean.”

“I love you too.”

***

“The sunrise is beautiful anywhere.”

They sat in the window seat of Tranh’s room, wrapped in a blanket, watching the sun finally break through the clouds. It had been a week and a half of rainy days. His naked body felt so comfortable with hers, so much so that it made Leo nervous. She was still mostly asleep, exhausted after a night of rigorous lovemaking. Tranh had been innocent when Leo first took her but she learned quickly what he liked; he knew how to satisfy her.

“I'm usually asleep at this hour.” She mumbled in reply.

“Not me.” He kissed her cheek. “I don’t sleep much.”

“I know. Don’t you worry it will affect your flying?”

“I can fly that THUD with my eyes shut kid. My tour is over in three months.”

“Going home?”

“Yeah. Thinking about maybe becoming a real lawyer. Maybe one of those hippies that protest this war.”

“If not for it we would not have met. Its strange who the fates bring together.”

“You gotta stop reading Greek mythology.”

“You're probably right. There is a world out there for me too Leo; stories to be told including my own.”

“Just change my name and show me in a positive light.”

“The American anti-hero with the big heart and the big dick.”

“Tranh!”

They laughed then…Leo loved her girlish giggle. He could never remember Jenny laughing with such glee. Was it because she never had or was his memory of his new wife that faded? How could Tranh laugh as she did after the horrors she’d seen? How could she close her eyes at night and dream of something more? No matter how tight he held her he could not take on her optimism.

“I'm going to have to go soon.” He said.

“Make love to me again.”

“Here, in the window?”

“No one, except you is up at this hour Leo.”

She turned her body so they faced each other, her tiny legs wrapped around Leo as she straddled him.

“Is it selfish to ask that you never forget me?” Leo asked, moving inside her.

“Mmm hmm. But I won't, I can promise you that. Can you make me a promise?”

“Anything.”

“Forget it all. Promise me that you will go back to Middle America and don’t let the jungle take your mind.”

“I want to promise you that. This is never going to leave me and maybe I can be OK if I replace the bad memories with you.”

She caressed his face, pulling him close for a soft kiss.

“I have a feeling you will be thinking of me a lot Leo.”

“Me too, but that is a memory worth protecting.”

***

Standing on a stoop on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Leo McGarry rang the doorbell. A younger man answered the door.

“Can I help you?”

“I'm here to see Mrs. Tranh Foster. She is expecting me.”

“Come on in. I'm her son Leo.”

“I'm sorry?”

“My name is Leo.”

The young man held out his hand and the White House Chief of Staff shook it.

“My name is Leo too. Leo McGarry.”

“Mom said she named me after a dear friend. I’ve seen you on TV before but I never would have guessed. Can I get you coffee or something?”

“No.” Leo followed him into the den.

“Mom, you have a visitor.”

When he looked at her, time stood still. He was back in that sweaty, rickety shack that passed for a bar and she was still 18 talking of Goethe and the horrors of war. He couldn’t help but take her into his arms.

“My God.” He murmured. “I never thought this would happen.”

“Leo, it is so good to see you.” They held each other for a while and then sat.

“Are you sure you won't have coffee, maybe a drink?”

“I've been sober for 5 years, and I've had enough coffee these past few days to last me a lifetime. Tranh, did you have my child in Hanoi?”

“Straightforward as always.” She said with that smile. How was it possible she had the same smile 30 years later? “Your letter did reach me.”

“I was never sure. They shipped me home.”

“I know. Some of the pilots told me. They also told me you were going to be alright. A couple of weeks later the fighting got bad in Hanoi and my father and Uncle smuggled me out to London. By the time I found out I was pregnant you were far gone.”

“Were you alone?” Leo asked.

“I had family in London and I refused to give up my baby. It was hard for a while but we made it. Then I met Mickey.”

“I have a child.”

“A daughter named Katherine. You told me once how much you loved that name; Katharine Hepburn I think you said. I told her that her father was a war hero shot down over Hanoi. I didn’t know what else to say. She never would have fully understood what happened.”

“Why didn’t you find me? I would have helped you?”

“You were married Leo…I didn’t know where to start. I was so young, and scared. And I loved you. If you would have rejected me, it would have killed me.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything. Katherine is healthy and so happy. She is at Penn getting her PhD in political science. Mickey adopted her after we got married and she never knew a day without love. Then her brothers, Robert and Leo came along.”

“Leo. Tranh, I…I'm speechless. It is so good to be looking at you.”

He reached for her hand. The whole train ride to New York he thought he would be angry, incensed at being kept from his child. Then he remembered where they had been, and what had happened to them. She had no other choice.

“I have to meet her.” Leo said.

“I don’t want her to know that she is your daughter. I don’t want her to think she was ever lied to intentionally by me. But if she sees you, she will know. You had a wife and daughter and I never want her to think she was less important than Mallory.”

“How do you know about Mallory? I never…”

“Leo, you babble when you are drunk, and you talk in your sleep. I know all about Jenny and Mallory; you showed me pictures. I read you Jed’s letters when you couldn’t see straight because of the whiskey. When I saw that you made him President I was so proud of you. Our seven months together were some of the happiest times of my life. I love Mickey and I miss him everyday but Kate has your eyes and I am so grateful for that.”

“I have to meet my daughter. You know I never want to ruffle feathers or hurt your relationship but what happened was not our faults. We can tell her you thought I was dead and I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

“What about your new wife and children?” Tranh asked.

“CJ knows everything.”

“She is coming home in a few weeks for my birthday and to spend some time. We can arrange a meeting. She is a woman now and she should know. It may be painful for all of us, but I know 30 years ago knocking on your door would have been worse.”

Leo knew that too. How would Jenny have reacted if Tranh showed up with a toddler who had his eyes? It would have been more a disaster than his return home had already been. He never wanted her to see him like that…she did not need to be part of his nightmare and neither did Katherine. He carried the guilt of one brokenhearted little girl; his guilt about the other would be different. He got up from the couch, walking over to the mantle and looked at her picture. Tranh came to stand beside him.

“She is beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Oh my God, you're right. There is no way she could look at me and not know.”

“Yeah.”

Leo ran his fingers along the glass frame. This was his daughter.

***

“Hey baby.”

He found CJ in the nursery later that night, holding his infant daughter. He walked over, kissed the both of them, and stroked his sleeping son’s head.

“Is she alright?”

“Yeah. How was it?” CJ put Charlie in the crib.

“I have a daughter. Her name is Katherine and she is 31 years old.”

“Oh my God. Leo, what…?”

“She doesn’t know about me. Tranh got my letter before being smuggled out of Hanoi. She didn’t know she was pregnant until settling in London months later. There was no way for her to contact me.”

CJ nodded, coming and taking him into her arms. Leo held onto her.

“I'm sorry CJ.”

“For what?”

“Bringing more shit on this Administration. Neither Tranh nor Katherine have gone to the press with this story. If someone comes out and claims I am their father, they are lying Claudia Jean. Tranh told our daughter I was shot down over Hanoi in ’71. She thought it was for the best.”

“Leo, you deserved to know.”

“She had no way of finding me. I had a wife, and a baby, another life. All the problems I had to face readjusting to civilian life were no place for anyone really. I am glad they didn’t have to be a part of that. She told me she considered it after her husband died a decade over but didn’t think it was proper. She didn’t want to put Katherine through any unnecessary heartache. Neither do I.”

“I understand.”

He took her hand and they went to their bedroom. She undressed him and lay on the bed holding him.

“I am going to meet her in a few weeks.” His voice was muffled against CJ’s tee shirt.

“The two of you are just going to drop this on her?”

“Baby, its been 30 years…how else can we do it? I assume her mother will talk to her first. It’s the only way.”

CJ nodded, holding him tighter.

“Will you be there with me?” he asked.

“Of course. I will be right beside you Leo McGarry, forever and ever.”

***

“Will you really be happy as a lawyer?” Tranh asked.

It was late and Leo needed to go. He had a flight tomorrow and needed to rest.

“I don’t know.”

“My father wants me to marry a lawyer.”

“How about that?” Leo stroked her stomach. “I'm not a real lawyer yet. I have two semesters of law school left.”

“Well I am going to be a writer. I want to travel the world and write about what I see. Work for Life Magazine or something. Live in London and go to parties with important people.”

“Are you serious?” Leo smirked.

“I am. I hate Hanoi; if the war doesn’t leave then I have to.”

“Don’t talk about dying. I have this nightmare that I come for you and you're gone.”

She stroked his back as he moved on top of her.

“I have to fly tomorrow. I don’t know if…”

“Shh…” she pressed her finger to his lips. “I love you, and I can tell you because its not real. It is a dream; a beautiful dream Leo.”

“In my dreams I'm with Jed. Playing chess in Ann Arbor; drinking beer and talking about making the world better.” He replied. “But here, you are everything.” He was inside her. Tranh closed her eyes and held onto him.

“Just tell me once Leo. I have a bad feeling.”

“Don’t worry about me kid. I never miss.”

They were interrupted by the sounds of their lovemaking. When it was over Leo really had to go…he was already going to catch hell. Tranh stood at the door to her room with him, kissing him softly.

“Be safe.” She said.

“I do love you Tranh, right here.”

She smiled and let him go. It was the last time they would see each other.

***

“I need to talk to you.”

It was hard to get one reporter’s attention and completely ignore the other three or four that stood around. But Greg was quick, walking back to her office at least 2 feet behind her and closing the door.

“They already have no love for the new kid. They see me coming out of this office and it’s a beat down at 3 o’clock.”

CJ smiled. Were all reporters closet comedians? She wondered if Mike Wallace or Peter Jennings were a chuckle a minute.

“Have you heard anything on the story?” she asked.

“Leo having a kid?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t think its gonna fly.”

“Why?”

“Because sure it’d be a story for a while but then it would be a libel suit. While it would stain him for a minute, it would stain the paper and person who said it even more.”

“Do you know who it was?”

“I'm the reporter Claudia Jean; I ask the questions. What do I get for all my gut spilling?”

“10 minutes with the President.”

Greg’s eyes widened.

“You're shitting me. Defense?”

“I don’t care if you ask for tuna casserole recipes. Keep it clean, no Zoey, and I will make it happen.”

“It was a man, about 33. He was a baby of the war and was going to take a $75,000 windfall. Then he retracted.”

“What paper?”

“He was set with the National Inquirer and a rumor that he was going on Taylor Reid.”

“Why did he retract?”

“I guess the Inquirer checked their bank account, weighed it against getting sued, and wanted more definitive proof.”

“DNA?” CJ asked.

“Something along those lines. That is when our hero hit the bricks. Does Leo have a child from the war?”

CJ looked at him. Damn if he could not read her face…the woman was good.

“Off the record.” He tried.

“Off the record, White House Senior Staff does not comment on their personal lives.”

“Yeah. Look, I'm glad its not going to happen. Leo McGarry is one of the good guys and from my view in the cheap seats he has taken enough hits over the last five years to last a lifetime. But then again, he did get the utter privilege of marrying one of the most beautiful women in the world so some would say he broke even.”

“Get out Gregory.”

“Yes ma'am. You will get back to me on the 10 minutes?”

“Yeah.”

“Can we say maybe 15?”

“We can say goodbye.” CJ replied.

CJ waved and he walked out of her office. She took a deep breath, so thankful it was over. A false story led Leo to his real daughter…what a world.

***

On Monday night after the lid closed, CJ went to Leo’s office. The world was mostly quiet so the President and First Lady had retired for the night to the residence. She knew Margaret didn’t go home but she wasn’t at her post so she tapped lightly and stuck her head in.

“Hey Leo. Are you busy?”

“I'm going over some paperwork; come on in. I saw your last briefing. Good job.”

They had been clashing lately over some of the many crazy things happening at the White House. The shutdown, the Democrats, John Hoynes, Josh, and how she ran her pressroom. She said a few things at the podium he didn’t like and was forced to apologize. That one made it into their personal lives and they slept in separate bedrooms for a few days. Then this happened.

“I may get Middle East questions soon; there is definite unrest over there. And I need more information about this summit and the outsourcing of our jobs…I am hearing things.”

“You'll have it when I do.” He replied.

She did not quite believe that but it was not worth bickering about tonight.

“Where is Margaret?” she asked instead.

“I sent her home. She had a migraine and was trying to stay. Lewis took her an hour ago. I think we should get out of here early too. Perhaps have dinner at home like normal Americans.”

“Normal? Bite your tongue Leopold.”

He smiled at her and CJ returned it. Then she closed both doors, pulled him over to the couch and sat on his lap. They had a rule never to be the McGarrys at the White House but after the past four days, hell the past four months, all she wanted was to be close to her husband. Leo wrapped his arms around her, held her close, and inhaled her scent.

“I gave Greg Brock 10 minutes with the President.” She said.

“Why?”

“Because he kept me in the loop. The story is not going to happen. The National Inquirer paid a man $75,000 because he said he was your son. Fox News wanted a piece of it too apparently. He started to backpedal when they wanted more definitive proof of his parentage. He had nothing so it fizzled.”

“I talked to her today CJ.”

“Katherine?”

“Tranh told her everything. She called me and told me she had known for almost a decade that I am her father. She saw me on CNN doing a talk with Wolf Blitzer about the labor markets for Vietnam Vets in 1995. The resemblance made her look me up and she connected all the dates. She couldn’t prove it, and out of respect for her parents she didn’t pursue it. She thought her mother had good reason to tell her I was dead. You should see her CJ…she is my image. I don’t even know how that makes me feel.”

“It will come to you.” She touched his face. “Are we still going to the party to meet her?”

Leo wanted to. He wanted to talk to his daughter and definitely spend more time with Tranh. He had reconciled those years of his life, all the things that happened over 30 years ago. He wanted Katherine to be part of his life if he could, if she wanted to. He told his wife, the President of the United States, and the time would come for him to tell Jenny and Mallory. He still didn’t know when that was going to be. Jenny was about to be remarried and Mallory was teaching in Africa. He had time to work it all out.

“Where are you?” CJ asked, gently kissing his lips.

“Right here with you baby. Lets go home, kiss our babies and watch a movie. We can eat a nice dinner in.”

“Are you cooking?”

“I was thinking about having Italian delivered.” Leo replied.

“That sounds perfect. Put Rebecca in the DVD player.”

“Yeah. C'mon Claudia Jean, the madness will be here upon our return. Tonight is you and me.”

CJ smiled at the thought as they left work behind and walked out of the West Wing hand and hand. The next crisis could wait until sunrise.

***


End file.
